The present invention relates in general to air intake systems for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an air intake device for manipulating and creating a vortex of air passing through the air intake of an engine.
In internal combustion engines, air enters the combustion chamber through the intake stroke of the piston and mixes with fuel for oxidation. Fuel efficiency can be increased by thoroughly mixing the air and fuel in the combustion chamber. By causing the airflow to swirl in a vortex configuration, it mixes more readily with fuel, and has a greater chance of completely mixing with and oxidizing fuel. For this reason, air intake devices for directing the airflow into a vortex or swirling configuration are used with the engines.
Several air intake devices for manipulating the airflow have been developed in art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,420 to Cheng discloses a device that imparts swirl to an air intake charge. The device is formed from a single sheet of a flexible, bendable material into a substantially cylindrical body which is open at both ends. A plurality of stationary vanes are provided integral with and formed from the sidewall of the body. The vanes are constructed by cutting the sidewall followed by bending them inwardly toward the central axis of the cylinder. Each vane is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to a plane parallel to and passing through the cylindrical body's axis, for changing the direction of air flow and to encourage swirl in the air flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,081 to Kim discloses an air flow system for an internal combustion engine. The system comprises a cylindrical air cleaner divided into a centrally disposed air swirling zone and a laterally disposed filter zone. The swirling device has plurality of vanes that extend toward its periphery in a radial orientation for increasing airflow. The vanes include at least one elongated slit and at least one groove for increasing air flow through the air cleaner and for reducing air flow resistance. When air is introduced into the air swirling zone through the filter zone, a swirling force is generated which is retained by the reduced resistance created in the air flow through the vane members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,446 to Robley discloses an air intake flow device to manipulate the airflow in an air entry chamber of an internal combustion engine. The device is comprised of a cylindrical skirt defining an airflow passageway and multiple vanes protruding inwardly from the inner surface of the skirt toward the center of the air entry chamber. Each vane is slanted at an angle to the direction of the airflow. The vanes are planar triangular with a first side first side disposed against the skirt, a second side disposed facing upstream into the airflow and a third side facing downstream of the airflow. The device can be constructed from a rectangular plate.
Although the above devices are design to serve a similar purpose, the object of the present invention is to provide a vortex generating air intake device that improves and increases the vortex of air traveling through an air intake. A further object of the present invention is to provide a vortex generating air intake device with a variable angular construction for the vanes. Other objects of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the appended Summary, Description, and Claims.